Readers reactions to stories from the past week

In response to Melissa Hogan's request for why it's good to reintroduce wolves, my best answer is to view the short (5 minute) film, "How wolves change rivers." It shows the remarkably extensive positive effects of wolves in the environment. She objects that these "Canadian" wolves are an "invasive species." Sometimes "invasive" is a matter of degree. All the wolves in North America were an interconnected species. It's just the ones here in Oregon have been replaced, by natural dissemination, filling a void left by foolish extermination. Like so often, peoples' response to a narrow problem of wolf predation was a short-sighted solution that ignored many negative results of their elimination. As to an invasive species that has been extremely destructive, that would be nearly every human in North America. But we make allowances for that. That the deer and elk populations may have declined some, whatever the wolves' responsibility, they are taking the sick and weak. It's human hunters that violate healthy selection by killing the best, thus weakening the population. The wolves belong here. They make the world a better place. I'm not advocating ignoring the conflicts. Cattle ranchers' issues should be addressed fairly. But all sides need to make accommodations to achieve the best long-term outcome.

Dr. Stone's family was rather large. Large practice and a significant clinic with a whole bunch of support staff. One life isn't worth more than another—they are all priceless—but the impact of this crash has huge ripples throughout Bend.